Best bets for the horse racing at Meydan Friday 26th January – The Dubai Carnival
A very quiet week so far for me, in fact Friday is the first day I will be having a bet. It is week five of the Dubai World Cup Carnival and it is a decent meeting out at Meydan with a three Group Two's and a Group Three on the card. I have three fancies on the evening. Bit of a clerical error on my part means I only have cash in the Hills account this morning so all bets are Best Price Guaranteed with Hills.
The Group Two Cape Verdi Stakes on the turf over a mile at 3.45 has caused me a headache as I have talked of a few of these and it looks a tight affair. Soft Whisper has done me a favour in the past but I have got her wrong the last couple of times, as I did when she won on the 13th January! A strongly run mile might find her out though. Charlie Appleby saddles two I like. With The Moonlight is on paper the best but has been off the track for a while and I would suggest she is better over a furlong or two more than this trip today. I tipped Wild Beauty in the race won by Soft Whisper over seven furlongs last month where she looked a little ring rusty and was running on late. She was in with the best of the best last season and will surely be involved in this having blown the cobwebs away. Charlie Appleby said on the Godolphin website “With The Moonlight is clear on official ratings and, while the trip will be on the sharper side, I feel that the style of racing at Meydan will suit her. Wild Beauty has definitely come on for her first start of the year and will hopefully be very competitive. I feel we have two fillies that should be bang there in the finish.” I am once again suggesting William Buick has chosen poorly and I am on Wild Beauty at 5-1.
It's the Turf course again at 4.55 for the Group Two 1m1f Singspiel Stakes and we have a rematch with a few from the Al Rashidiya facing off once more. Valiant Prince, Ottoman Fleet and Dubai Future ended in a bit of a heap three weeks ago but I remain convinced that ultimately Ottoman Fleet is the best of them and I am tipping him again despite finishing third in the Al Rashidiya. William Buick has stuck with Ottoman Fleet I think this time he has chosen wisely. The selection is 3lb better off with the winner here and it would be no surprise to me to see him reverse the form. I am on at 9-4. Charlie Appleby, again talking on the Godolphin website, said “Valiant Prince has come out of the Al Rashidiya well. He has to carry a penalty for that win but has a nice draw in stall two and should be very competitive based on what he achieved last time out. I feel Ottoman Fleet has come forward since the Al Rashidiya, when he travelled well before getting a bit tired in the last 100 yards. He is better at the weights with Valiant Prince this time, which should put him bang there.”
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Best bets for the horse racing at Meydan
They get underway at Meydan with an Arab race, the G.1 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 which I am leaving alone. The 2.35 sees the thoroughbreds enter the fray with the 1m4f Vazirabad Handicap on the Turf course. First Ruler was just ahead of Dhahabi over track and trip earlier at the Carnival and I think Buick may have picked the wrong one here. Dhahabi had a perfect pitch on the rail on that occasion whilst First Ruler was several wide throughout and even though the four-year-old is drawn wide again I expect him to strip fitter for the run and can take this. I didn't get involved in the race in January but have taken the 2-1 today about the bay gelding.The Group Two Cape Verdi Stakes on the turf over a mile at 3.45 has caused me a headache as I have talked of a few of these and it looks a tight affair. Soft Whisper has done me a favour in the past but I have got her wrong the last couple of times, as I did when she won on the 13th January! A strongly run mile might find her out though. Charlie Appleby saddles two I like. With The Moonlight is on paper the best but has been off the track for a while and I would suggest she is better over a furlong or two more than this trip today. I tipped Wild Beauty in the race won by Soft Whisper over seven furlongs last month where she looked a little ring rusty and was running on late. She was in with the best of the best last season and will surely be involved in this having blown the cobwebs away. Charlie Appleby said on the Godolphin website “With The Moonlight is clear on official ratings and, while the trip will be on the sharper side, I feel that the style of racing at Meydan will suit her. Wild Beauty has definitely come on for her first start of the year and will hopefully be very competitive. I feel we have two fillies that should be bang there in the finish.” I am once again suggesting William Buick has chosen poorly and I am on Wild Beauty at 5-1.
It's the Turf course again at 4.55 for the Group Two 1m1f Singspiel Stakes and we have a rematch with a few from the Al Rashidiya facing off once more. Valiant Prince, Ottoman Fleet and Dubai Future ended in a bit of a heap three weeks ago but I remain convinced that ultimately Ottoman Fleet is the best of them and I am tipping him again despite finishing third in the Al Rashidiya. William Buick has stuck with Ottoman Fleet I think this time he has chosen wisely. The selection is 3lb better off with the winner here and it would be no surprise to me to see him reverse the form. I am on at 9-4. Charlie Appleby, again talking on the Godolphin website, said “Valiant Prince has come out of the Al Rashidiya well. He has to carry a penalty for that win but has a nice draw in stall two and should be very competitive based on what he achieved last time out. I feel Ottoman Fleet has come forward since the Al Rashidiya, when he travelled well before getting a bit tired in the last 100 yards. He is better at the weights with Valiant Prince this time, which should put him bang there.”
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